Bill Parcells Is Perfect Coach to Lead Drew Brees Back to Super Bowl

A two-time Super Bowl champion and three-time conference champion, Bill Parcells is the ideal candidate for the New Orleans Saints to keep rolling in 2012.

Sean Payton coached under Parcells from 2003-05 when he was with the Dallas Cowboys, so the connection with quarterback Drew Brees is there. However, Parcells' NFL coaching is about building a team throughout three to four years or longer.

New Orleans can't offer that kind of longevity, so the Saints aren't necessarily the best fit for Parcells. Nevertheless, Brees and co. would get the benefit of Parcells in control; the question, though, is whether this actually happens.

According to Jarrett Bell of the USA Today, Parcells seems interested but the ball appears to remain stagnant:

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"I don't know what the end result will be and whether or what in fact (the Saints) want to do," Parcells added during a 17-minute phone conversation. "None of this has been discussed or decided. We're a long way off."

"I know people are thinking, 'There's a deal already done,' " Parcells said. "But really, he's my friend. That's the first thing this is about.

"I feel an obligation, a responsibility to help him."

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In retrospect, Parcells has also been able to get the job done without having coached an eventual Hall of Fame quarterback. When in New York with the Giants, his two Super Bowls came with Phil Simms and Jeff Hostetler and then in New England he had Drew Bledsoe.

Surely Drew Brees is making a Hall of Fame resume. After having compiled over 40,000 passing yards with a 65.9 completion percentage and a 94.0 career rating in 11 seasons, Brees also had a playoff stretch through five games where he threw 13 touchdowns to zero picks.

Much like Parcells, Payton is a very detailed-oriented coach, so Brees will simply keep dicing up defenses if Parcells comes aboard.

Now, before we jump to any foregone conclusions, though, the Saints aren't getting impatient. According to James Varney of the Times-Picayune, nothing has begun:

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The excitement is probably premature, league sources made clear. No coaching decision is imminent in New Orleans.

"Yesterday was really more about golf than coaching, nothing final was even mentioned," one person familiar with the outing said Wednesday.

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Still, we can't help but think what Parcells can teach to Brees, who will be turning 34 at the end of next season. Provided he stays healthy, Brees can play another five years at least and having played under Parcells for one season would only help him improve.

The combination of Parcells as the disciplinarian and the leadership of Brees—if anything—will keep the Saints afloat throughout 2012, and for the 2013 season and beyond.

John Rozum on Twitter.